The present disclosure generally relates to administering a substance to the throat. More particularly, the aspects of the disclosed embodiments relate to administering a substance to the throat via the nose using a blow-fill-mold style bottle.
Devices are available for administering active substances or substances to the body, particularly through the throat, lungs or sinuses. These devices generally include containers that have a main chamber holding the desired contents and a head portion that is inserted into the nose or mouth. By squeezing the container, the substance is released into the nose or mouth. In some cases, the device has a tab or seal that must be broken in order to release the substance. A relatively narrow neck on the device can form the outlet channel from the main chamber into the head portion. This outlet channel can sealed by a frangible membrane that is typically formed by placing a crimp, tab or seal across the head portion during the molding and sealing process. At the time of use, the head portion is broken away from the main chamber portion, thus opening the outlet channel and allowing removal or dispensing of the contents. When the substance is being administered orally, the user will typically inhale at roughly the same time as the substance is released in order to force the medicine into, or further into, the sinus cavity, throat or lungs.
The blow-fill-seal process (BFS process), also referred to herein as blow-fill-mold, is a single operation which produces sterile containers. Bottles or vials made from materials such as from thermoplastic, are blown to a desired shape and immediately on cooling are filled aseptically with a desired fluid and hermetically sealed. The containers that are produced by the blow-fill-seal process are generally referred to herein as “BFS containers.” The blow-fill seal process generally produces compact, easy-to-use substance dispensing devices that can be used to deliver substance to the throat, lungs or sinuses.
Snoring is a serious problem for a large segment of the population. Snoring is a sleep disorder that can range from mild to severe in humans. Mild cases may result in no more than fitful sleep by the sufferer, while severe cases can cause disturbance of the sleep of others, and may result in insufficient inhalation of oxygen by the sufferer, apnea and, in extreme cases, death.
Remedies to alleviate the symptoms of snoring can range from surgery to a variety of substances. Although surgery has been proven to be somewhat effective, it is a radical and expensive approach that is subject to all the usual risks associated with surgery. Drugs are available by prescription for the treatment of the symptoms of snoring. Other snoring management techniques can include for example, mechanical aids, nasal strips and anti-snoring sprays. Anti-snoring sprays can tend to be ineffective unless applied repeatedly during the night. Additionally, device sterilization is a concern when administering anti-snoring sprays due to the potential for infection since the sprays are introduced directly into the lungs in a manner that at least partially bypasses the patient's natural defense mechanisms.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system that addresses at least some of the problems identified above.